1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image reading apparatus and method, as well as a storage medium storing a program for executing the method, and in particular to an image reading apparatus and method that can read images from sheet media and electronic paper, as well as a storage medium storing a program for executing the method.
2. Description of the Related Art
Some image reading apparatuses such as a scanner apparatus adopt an original flow reading method that reads an image using a fixed optical system while conveying an original using an original conveying unit (ADF). Also, some image reading apparatuses adopt an original fixed reading method that sets one original each on an original platen glass and reads an image through scanning by an optical system.
Incidentally, development of “electronic paper” having advantages of both a sheet medium and a display has been pursued. The advantage of electronic paper is that it can reduce consumption of paper and thus reduce environmental burdens through forest conservation, reduction of CO2 emission resulting from incineration, and so on. Against this backdrop, there has been proposed an image reading apparatus that is capable of conveying a sheet original or electronic paper to a reading position using an ADF, and reading an image on the sheet original or an image on the electronic paper (see, for example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2008-141590).
For conventional image reading apparatuses, a technique to read an image displayed on electronic paper using the original flow reading method using an ADF has been proposed. However, a technique to optically read an image displayed on electronic paper using the original fixed reading method has not been considered yet.